1979 Disco

The most popular year for disco was 1979. Disco was everywhere and at the
top of the charts, and lots of radio stations had converted to an
all-disco format. Discofied theme songs and intros were commonplace on
American television. While there were many good disco songs in 1979 (among
the most noteworthy are "My Forbidden Lover" and "Good Times" by Chic,
"Under Your Spell" by Phyllis Hyman, "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson,
"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden and Whitehead, and "What 'Cha
Gonna Do With My Lovin'" by Stephanie Mills), there were also plenty of
very bad ones, and far too many disco records flooded the market. In the
second half of the year, disco's popularity began to decline.

Jermaine
Jackson - "Let's
Get Serious" - disco-funk - on October 1979
album, single released in March 1980, reached #9 Pop and #1 R&B in the USA
in July 1980, #2 Disco in the USA in 1980, reached #8 U.K. Pop in June
1980; also released in a Spanish version, "Seamos Serios", in 1980

Manhattan Transfer - "Twilight
Zone/Twilight Zone" - reached #30 Pop
in the USA in June 1980, #4 Disco in the USA in 1980, #25 Pop in the U.K.
in June 1980; disco version of the theme song to the television show
"Twilight Zone"

Marlena Shaw - "Suite Seventeen: It Was a Very Good Year/I'm a Foster
Child" - disco song, part of which is based on Frank Sinatra's "It Was a
Very Good Year" but with modified lyrics

Marlena Shaw - "Touch Me in the Morning" - cover of a Diana Ross song

Martha
Reeves - "Skating in the Streets (Dancing in the Streets)" -
disco song with some lyrics copied from her 1964 classic "Dancing in the
Street" that she recorded as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, but most of
the lyrics are new

Marvic Sotto - "May
I Have This Dance" - from the Philippines; released in both a mixed
Tagalog-English version and a purely English version; the English-only
version has more intense drumming but otherwise the instrumentation seems
identical; the mixed version is also known as "May I Have This Dance
(...Ngayun Lang)" and was later attributed as a VST and Company
group release despite its origination as a solo Marvic record (Marvic was
a singer with VST); not to be confused with VST and Company's 2006 bossa
nova re-recording

Max
Bygraves (a.k.a. Walter Bygraves) -
"How Ya Gonna Keep Em Down on the Farm" - disco-pop
version of the song "How 'Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm (After
They've Seen Paree)", written by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis with music
composed by Walter Donaldson

Meco -
"Themes from Superman: Main Title Theme, The Destruction of
Krypton, The Trip to Earth, Growing Up, March of the Villains, The Flying
Sequence and 'Can You Read My Mind?', Chasing Rockets, Turning Back the
World, End Title Theme" - medley of discofied music from the movie

Phil Trim - "Mammy Blue" - electro-disco English-language version of
the 1970 French ballad written by Hubert Giraud which was recorded in
Italian by Ivana Spagna and in French by Nicoletta and Joel Dayde

Scott Allan - "I Think We're Alone Now/Will You Love Me Tomorrow" -
disco song that alternates between remakes of "I Think We're Alone Now"
(originally recorded in 1967 by Tommy James and the Shondells) and
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" (originally recorded in 1960 by the
Shirelles)

Sirena - "If You Go Away" - electro-disco in English and French; cover
of the song written by Rod McKuen that was recorded by Dusty Springfield,
Glen Campbell, Brenda Lee, and many other artists starting in the 1960s

VST
and Company - "The Disco Kings" - disco medley in Tagalog and English
from the Philippines that contains redone excerpts from their songs
"Awitin Mo At Isasayaw Ko", "Disco Fever", "Tato'y Magsayawan",
"Ipagpatawad Mo", "Swing It, Baby", and "Step No, Step Yes",
bookended on both sides by "We are the Disco Kings" which is a
variation on Helen Gamboa's "Disco Queen from the Philippines"

Viola Wills (a.k.a. Viola
Wilkerson) - "Gonna Get Along Without You
Now" - disco version of the 1957 song by Patience and Prudence written
years earlier by Milton Kellem; reached #8 Pop in the U.K. in November 1979

Wayne
Newton - "Medley: Don't Wish Too Hard/Any Fool Could See/Rhythm
Rhapsody" - first part is a disco version of a 1977 song written by Carole
Bayer Sager and Peter Allen; second part is a cover of Barry White's 1979
disco song "Any Fool Could See (You Were Meant For Me)"; last part briefly
covers a portion of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"

The "Mickey
Mouse Disco" children's album was released as a record in 1979
by Disney and sold in large quantities. The songs included

"It's a Small World",

"Disco Mickey Mouse",

"Macho Duck" (a parody of "Macho Man"),

"Watch Out for Goofy!",

"Welcome to Rio",

"Mousetrap",

"The Greatest Band", and

"Chim Chim Cher-ee".
It was accompanied by a cartoon movie of the same name. The cassette tape
edition of "Mickey Mouse Disco" came out in 1980.
There were "Mickey Mouse Disco" watches, pillowcases, and other
memorabilia for sale in 1979 and 1980, too.
1979's "Sesame
Disco!" from
Sesame Street Records, the superior follow-up to 1978's "Sesame Street
Fever", also appealed to children with the disco songs

"Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco",

"The Happiest Street in the World",

"Sing", and

"Disco Frog".
The vocals for "The Girls" on the "Sesame Disco!" album were by
Ullanda McCullough, Yvonne Lewis, and Maretha Stewart.
Irwin the Disco Duck released a number of children's disco records during
the 1970s, and in 1979 he released, among other things,

"Macho Man" (a cover of the Village People hit).
James
Last and the Rolling Trinity released their children's album "James
Last and the Rolling Trinity" in 1979 with the disco songs

"Hey All You Boys and All You Girls",

"One More Chance",

"Long Long Ago" (a disco version of the 1833 song by Thomas Haynes Bayly),

"Jenny Jones" (a German disco version of the folk song), and

"Do You Know How Many Stars" (a disco version of the hymn)

"Thinking of You" by Sister Sledge, "Bring the Family Back" by Billy Paul,
and "I've Got Faith in You" by Cheryl Lynn were three very special
disco-influenced R&B songs from 1979.
"Lucky" by Solomon Burke, "Him" by Rupert Holmes (#6 Pop in the USA in
March 1980), "Shine a Little Love" by E.L.O., "Stay Free" by Ashford and
Simpson, "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long" and "God Don't Like Ugly" by
Roberta Flack,
"Better Love Next Time" by Dr. Hook (#12 Pop in the USA in January 1980),
"Get It Up" by Ronnie Milsap, "Hi-Heel Sneakers" by Ronnie Milsap,
the rock-oriented "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd,
and "Baby Blue" by Dusty Springfield also had a noticeable disco influence.
Despite its name, "Burn This Disco Out" by Michael Jackson is more
funk than disco. Other funk songs of 1979 included
"If You Think That Funk is Junk You're Drunk" by Jimmy James,
"One on One" and "Stand Up L.T.D." by L.T.D., "Pull My Strings" by Lakeside,
"Doin' It To Death" by Philly Cream, "Dance Sing Along" and "Get Up and
Dance" by Freedom, "Firecracker" by Mass Production,
"Bodyshine" and "Slap, Slap Lickedy Lap" by Instant Funk,
"We Like To Party...Come On" by Switch,
"I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)" by the
Gap Band (#6 Pop in the U.K. in August 1980, #102 Pop in the USA in 1980),
"Ride the Groove" by the Players Association (#42 Pop in the U.K. in May 1979),
"Do You Love What You Feel" by Rufus and Chaka (#5 on the Disco chart in
January 1980), "Boogie Down (Get Funky Now)" by The Real Thing,
"Boogie Butt" by Skylite,
"Boogie City (Rock and Boogie Down)" by Phil Hurtt,
"Therm Warfare" by Heatwave,
"I Just Want to Be" by Cameo (electro-funk),
"Freakin' Time" by Asphalt Jungle (electro-funk),
"Saturday Night (At the Disco)" by Kinsman Dazz,
"Disco Fever" by Rare Essence (electro-funk),
"Disco Fever" by Leon Haywood (electro-funk),
"Disco Smash" by Olympic Runners (electro-funk),
"I Go Disco" by Chapter 8 (electro-funk),
"Take Me to Your Disco" by Splendor (electro-funk),
"Move Your Boogie Body" by Bar-Kays (electro-funk),
"Funky Disco Music" by George Jackson,
"Everybody Disco Down" by Sun,
"Disco Mystic" by Lou Reed, and "Big City" and "Let Me Do It to You" and
"Freak the Freak the Funk (Rock)" by Fatback Band.
Jermaine Jackson's electro-backed "Burnin' Hot", which reached #32 Pop in
the U.K. in early August 1980, "Music" by One Way featuring Al Hudson,
"Music Makes You Feel Like Dancing" by Brass Construction,
"Sexy Dancer" by Prince,
"Are You Ready for Love?" by Slave,
and Herbie Hancock's "Ready or Not" are funk dance songs.
"Quiero Vivir (I Will Survive)" by Carmin, an excellent Spanish version of
Gloria Gaynor's hit "I Will Survive", could also be considered a form of
funk dance, as there are extra beats throughout almost all of the song.
"Space Dust" by Deodato and "Isabelle and the Rain" by Jo Boyer
are jazz-funk.
Donna Summer's "Sunset People", Sparks's "The Number One Song in Heaven"
and "Tryouts for the Human Race", Erotic Drum Band's "Pop Pop Shoo Wah",
Tempest Trio's "Do You Like the Way That It Feels",
Janis Ian's "Fly Too High",
Sylvia Love's "Instant Love",
Transvolta's "Disco Computer",
and Dobie Gray's "The In Crowd" are techno songs.
"M" by Pop Muzik, "Crank It Up (Funk Town)" by Peter Brown,
"Computer Game" by Yellow Magic Orchestra, "We Are One" and "Let's Fly"
and "You Set Me on Fire" by Paradise Express,
the most excellent "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard,
"Girls Cost Money" by Passengers (its fake or sampled horns and other
electro sounds make it sound like a dance song from the late 1980s!),
"Blow My Mind" by Celi Bee, "Movin' on a Disco Planet" by Ganymed,
"Life in Tokyo" by Japan,
"Groove Me" by Fern Kinney, "Without Your Love" by Cut Glass (Hi-NRG),
"Alive with Love" by Cut Glass (Hi-NRG),
"Last Train" by Ladies Choice (Hi-NRG),
"A Walk in the Park" by Nick Straker Band, "Funky Boogie" by John Ozila,
and "Moskow Diskow" by Telex
are electronic dance songs.
"Discomania" by Parigi is electronica with a slower beat.
"Rap-O, Clap-O" by Joe Bataan is disco-styled rap.
Other disco-sounding 1979 rap songs include "King Tim III (Personality
Jock)" by Fatback Band, "Schooling - Put Your Mind to the Message" by
Sherod, "Super Wolf Can Do It" by Super Wolf (uses the same bassline as
"I'm So Hot" by Denise LaSalle), "To the Beat Y'All" by Lady B.,
"We Rap More Mellow" by Younger Generation,
and "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang (based on Chic's "Good Times").
"Roller Jubilee" by Al DiMeola is a disco-influenced jazz song.
"Call Me" by Blondie (also released in a Spanish version, "Llamame") is a
punk-dance song.
Ray Conniff released a non-disco version of "I Will Survive".
Risco Connection put out a reggae cover of "Ain't No Stopping Us Now".
"Tragedy" and "Love You Inside Out" by the Bee Gees are not disco, nor is
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles, nor "Shine A Little Love" by
the Electric Light Orchestra, nor "I Travel" by Simple Minds.
"Too Hot" by Kool and the Gang is a disco-friendly soul song.
"Disco Elephant" by White Boy is rock.
"Slow Disco-Dancing" by L.A.X. is a soul ballad.

ROLLER-DISCO

The disco-themed movie "Roller Boogie" was released to American theaters
on December 19, 1979. Another such movie, "Skatetown, U.S.A.", was also
released the same year.

Issue 280 of the comic book "Archie" had a disco theme - the cover shows
Archie and Betty skating at a roller-disco. Roller-disco was also the
theme of two episodes of the TV series CHiPs in September 1979.

DISCO ON TELEVISION

The American disco dancing TV show "Dance Fever" began airing in January
1979.

Buffalo-based Disco Step-by-Step®, which in the end had
viewers also in other parts of western New York as well as Pennsylvania
and southern Ontario, aired its last show on January 15, 1979.

DISCO AT THE MOVIES

The following disco songs were included on the 1979 movie soundtrack
"Skatetown U.S.A.": "Skatetown U.S.A." by Dave Mason,
"Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind and Fire with the
Emotions, "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" by the Jacksons, "Boogie
Nights" by Heatwave, "Born to be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez, and others.

The following disco songs were included on the 1979 movie soundtrack
"Roller
Boogie":
"Hell on Wheels" by Cher, "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth,
Wind and Fire with the Emotions, "Roller Boogie" by Bob Esty,
"Love Fire" by Bob Esty and Michele Aller,
"Elektronix (Roller Dancin')" by Bob Esty and Cheeks,
and "We've Got the Power" by Ron Green.

The following disco songs were included on the 1979 movie soundtrack
"Nocturna": "Love is Just a Heartbeat Away (Nocturna's Theme)" by Gloria
Gaynor, "Nighttime Fantasy" by Vicki Sue Robinson, "Bitten by the Love
Bug" by Heaven 'N' Hell Orchestra, "Love at First Sight" by Moment of
Truth, and "I'm Hopelessly in Love with You" by Moment of Truth.

"Disco Fever", a movie directed by Lamar Card, has the following disco
songs playing on it: "D.I.S.C.O." by Ottawan, "You Little Trustmaker" by
the Tymes, "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow, and "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees
and His Cast of Idiots.

"Sunnyside", a movie directed by Timothy Galfas, has the following disco
songs on its 1979 soundtrack that was released under the title "New York
City Band": "Loving You", "Ride that Wave", and "Sunnyside",
all by New York City Band.

"Sábado Alucinante", a Brazilian movie about characters from
different walks of life who have specific ambitions and agendas and intersect in Rio's answer to
Studio 54, has the following disco songs on its soundtrack:
"Dance Livre (Sing it Low)" by Mary Jô,
"Sábado Alucinante" by Sônia Santos e Banda Black Rio,
"Grilo Na Cuca" by Dudu França,
"Ana" by Gilberto Santamaria,
"Get Down" by Gene Chandler,
"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor,
"I Love the Nightlife" by Alicia Bridges,
"On the Strip" by Paul Nicholas,
"More than a Woman" by Orchestra 88,
"Walk On By" by Gary Toms Empire,
and "Let's Start the Dance" by Hamilton Bohannon. (Sentence contributed by Marco Freitas)

"Love is in the Air" by John Paul Young and "MacArthur Park" by Donna
Summer are among the disco songs that play in the 1979 movie "Nos Tempos
da Vaselina".

"Disco Queen from the Philippines" by Helen Gamboa and "Step No, Step Yes"
by VST and Company are among the disco songs included on the soundtrack
for the 1979 movie "Swing It... Baby!".

DISCO PRODUCTS

Allied Leisure Industries released their "Disco '79" pinball game this
year.

DISCO SPORTS THEMES

The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates team, winners of that year's World Series,
adopted "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge as their anthem. The 1979 Super
Bowl also had a Sister Sledge connection. The compilation
CD "ESPN Stadium Anthems", released in 2003 by Hollywood Records, includes
"We Are Family" as well as Kool and the Gang's "Celebration".

Meanwhile, the rock-disco anthem "San Diego Super Chargers" became the
theme song of the San Diego Chargers football team, and remained so in
coming decades.

The St. Louis Steamers, a soccer team, adopted "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
by McFadden and Whitehead as its anthem in 1979, and as of 2004 it was
still their anthem.

The Seattle SuperSonics won their basketball championship in 1979,
prompting Luther Rabb to re-release "Seattle's Disco Groovin' Tonight"
with new lyrics to celebrate how the "Seattle Sonics Do It".